Canelo Alvarez ends a 13-month hiatus from the ring as he challenges reigning WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 31.

Alvarez held the very same WBC title entering his last bout, an undisputed title defense against Terence Crawford last September, but was handed a unanimous decision defeat by the since-retired future Hall of Famer. Rather than call it a career himself, the 36-year-old Alvarez has eyes on a return to the title picture against the recently-minted Mbilli.

Mbilli was elevated to interim WBC champion this past January in the aftermath of Crawford's retirement. He last faced undefeated Lester Martinez on the undercard of Alvarez vs. Crawford, fighting to a split decision draw.

Will Alvarez turn back the clock to reclaim his title? Or is Mbilli too great a challenge? See experts picks and predictions for the fight below.

Canelo vs Mbilli picks, predictions

Teddy Atlas, former trainer

"(Canelo's) not going to outwork Mbilli," Atlas said on his podcast, The Fight with Teddy Atlas. "There's no way he's outworking this guy ... he is just a punching numbers machine. Great heart again, but he's been hurt. He has been hurt and he gets hit clean. And he gets hit with the kind of punches Canelo is good at throwing, the uppercut. He gets hit with the uppercut. Lester Martinez hit him with all kinds of uppercuts. Canelo's a better puncher than Lester Martinez for one-punch.

"He gets hit with the uppercut and he gets hit to the body. He's right there with his body. And Canelo throws a beautiful left hook to the liver. That can slow down a guy. That can stop a guy in his tracks. Even a guy with a great motor, a great chin, a great heart. Again, to be clear, Canelo's got to hurt him ... (Canelo's) going to have to hurt him early. They can't let this guy get a head of steam going because he'll roll you over. And if you're old, he'll make you older."

Tim Bradley Jr., Hall of Fame inductee

"The activity of Mbilli can be bothersome, I'm not going to lie," Bradley said on DAZN's Fundora vs. Hadribeaj broadcast. "Now if Canelo punches him and can't hurt him and can't get his respect, then Mbilli's in the fight, he's definitely in the fight. But I feel like Canelo's going to be sitting down on those shots. He's going to soften him up a bit. Canelo might even take a few (punches), catch a few and then land something big, hurt him and then maybe even stop him late."

David Benavidez, cruiserweight champion

"I think this fight is tailor made for Canelo," Benavidez told reporters at an Oct. 28 press conference. "Mbilli, he likes to stay there. He doesn't like to box he likes to brawl. He leaves himself really open to the body shots. He leaves himself open to the combinations. He's a great fighter, but I just feel like he's not at the level of Canelo."

Chris Algieri, former world champion

"I really want to see what version of Canelo we get against Mbilli," Algieri told Sean Zittel. "And Mbilli is a really good test because Mbilli is all engine. He's a super aggressive guy, he's very physical. All the things that would give an aging fighter trouble, Mbilli does. He comes forward, he throws a lot of punches, he's physical, he's big. He's not going to let you think, he's not going to let you breathe. When you're older, those things can give you a lot of trouble ...

"I'm curious to see what version of Canelo this is. I think Canelo at even 80%, 85% of what he used to be, I think he smashes Mbilli. I think there are a lot of openings for him to take advantage of - uppercuts, body shots - there are a lot of holes in Mbilli's game because he is so aggressive. But if he's not, he very well could lose to Mbilli."

Canelo vs Mbilli odds

Ahead of fight night Alvarez is a -330 favorite to win, while Mbilli is a +250 underdog to retain his title. The over/under is set at 10.5 rounds.

Odds via DraftKings, as of Oct. 29

What time is the Canelo fight?

Coverage of the Alvarez vs. Mbilli fight card will begin at 9 a.m. CT with the four-fight main card beginning at 12 p.m. CT. Ring walks for the main event expected at approximately 3:30 p.m. CT.

Where to watch Canelo fight?

The four-fight Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli card will air exclusively on DAZN pay-per-view in the U.S. for $79.99. The fight card is also included in DAZN's Ultimate plan. A preliminary card will air for free on DAZN ahead of the pay-per-view.

Harrison Campbell covers combat sports and more for The Tennessean and The Daily Herald. Email him at hcampbell@usatodayco.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Canelo Alvarez vs Christian Mbilli picks, predictions: Who wins WBC title fight?

Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.